An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Marter

by Friedrich Kluge

Marter, f., ‘torture, rack,’ from MidHG. marter, martere, f., orig. ‘martyrdom,’ espec. ‘the Passion,’ then ‘torture, torment, persecution, rack,’ OHG. martira, martara, f. (also with l, OHG. martela, MidHG. martel); formed from Gr. and Lat. martyrium. The derivative Märtyrer is from MidHG. męrterer, marterer, OHG. martirâri, ‘martyr,’ for which the forms martir, martyr, equiv. to Lat.-Gr. martyr, ‘martyr for the truth of Christianity,’ rarely occur. The Eccles. Lat. meaning ‘torture,’ which is foreign to Gr., is found also in the Rom. cognates of martyrium. Comp. Ital. martirio, Fr. martyre.